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Author: Subject: Tales From The Tijuana Jails
TheColoradoDude
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[*] posted on 11-26-2009 at 10:27 PM
Tales From The Tijuana Jails


I just finished a very fascinating book by Sam Warren titled; "Tales From The Tijuana Jails". It was pretty intense and read it in 2 days!

If your in the mood for a dramatic, mind blowing non fictional read, this book is it!!!

I can already see this being made into a movie with Edward Norton being casted as Daniel.

Did you know there was an entire working city in the compounds of La Mesa prison a.k.a. El Pueblito in Tijuana???
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[*] posted on 11-26-2009 at 10:50 PM


Given my proximity to, frequency in and level of risk in Tijuana I am interested. Is this something I am likely to find on the shelf at Borders/ B&N or should I be looking at Amazon ? I'll be out shopping the Black Friday specials tomorrow anyway, I'll look for it.



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[*] posted on 11-26-2009 at 11:05 PM


What's the time frame of the book? I think there USED to be a city within a city there- families and all.



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TheColoradoDude
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[*] posted on 11-26-2009 at 11:09 PM


I bought mine from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Tijuana-Jails-Sam-Warren/dp/0945...


I think he is in San Diego. You could probably call or email him and pick one up tomorrow. Here is his link.

http://bookwarren.com/tales/Index.htm

[Edited on 11-27-2009 by TheColoradoDude]

[Edited on 11-27-2009 by TheColoradoDude]
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[*] posted on 11-26-2009 at 11:24 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by Woooosh
What's the time frame of the book? I think there USED to be a city within a city there- families and all.


You are absolutely correct!!! The author was released June 28th, 2003 and he was in for 3 years before his release.

"It was estimated 4,500 prisoners had neither a cell nor bunk and many slept on the ground outside in all weather. Inside the wall was a complete city with at least 150 commercial enterprises, such as grocery stores, meat markets, hardware store, barber shops, taco stands, restaurants, and even a TV cable service."

"It looked like a crowded shanty town than a prison with hundreds of houses or apartments and approximately 150 shops. Cells were converted into carracas, apartments, and others were built outside on top of each other. Some where sold and others rented for $300 a month from just a whole in the wall to much more for a luxurious house."
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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 07:51 AM


a fiend of mine spent five years in islas marias. he tells some really good stories of why you don't want to go to jail in mexico...



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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 09:31 AM


I read a book about the Nogales Mexico prison, written by Stephen Wilson that was an excellent read. I was told that it may be made into a movie in the near future. A great book that takes place in the 70's about two young men from North Carolina looking for adventure. They found it and then some!

The book was published two years ago and is available from Amazon and other sites.
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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 09:42 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by bigboy
I read a book about the Nogales Mexico prison, written by Stephen Wilson that was an excellent read. I was told that it may be made into a movie in the near future. A great book that takes place in the 70's about two young men from North Carolina looking for adventure. They found it and then some!



A five star rating. That's up there.


http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Nogales/Stephen-H-Wilson/e/...
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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 04:34 PM


In 1966 I found myself standing on the corner in TJ watching the police raid a house across the street. Suddenly, a police care pulled up next to me and two officers exited and threw me into the back seat. They never said a word to me. Took me to the TJ jail and put me in a cell. The cell was about 10X10. As I recall there were 8-9 other men in the call. In the middle of the cell was a cement cone about 3 feet high, 2 feet around and a hole in the top to discharge ones waste. Problem was this cone was up to capacity and would hold no more. After 6-8 hours I was escorted from the cell to an office and informed my fine was 24 days or $24.00. I had $22.00. They accepted the $22.00 and escorted me to the exit.

Never knew what I was charged with. I figured karma got me as hours earlier
I had been a guest at the Blue Fox. I was 17 and it was a long walk to and across the border with no money in my pocket.

That's my story and I am sticking to it. Oh, I have a few more. How about the time I passed out in the Long Bar? I think I was 16 and...................&^%$
They took it and released me.
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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 06:50 PM


I couldn't write a book about my TJ jail time, but like cabobaja, a paragraph or two will do.
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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 07:48 PM


Someone once said that you haven't really lived if you haven't been arrested at least once in life...



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[*] posted on 11-27-2009 at 09:12 PM


Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGringo
Someone once said that you haven't really lived if you haven't been arrested at least once in life...


Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?




No soy por ni contra apatía.
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[*] posted on 11-28-2009 at 07:18 AM


many high school summer nights with the G/F at the long bar!!! and let's just say the jail thing has been accomplished already....

edit: jail is overrated!!!!

[Edited on 11-28-2009 by woody in ob]




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[*] posted on 11-28-2009 at 07:36 AM
Just once


Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGringo
Someone once said that you haven't really lived if you haven't been arrested at least once in life...


I think it's... If you haven't spent time in jail... at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it:):)

I thought everyone has been arrested :lol::lol:

Heck, even the head of Enron was arrested... no big woof here

Woody you sound like a dangerous man... we could have gotten into big trouble together sounds like to me....:lol::lol::lol:

And BajaGrino.. your picture says it all :lol::lol::lol: you are a dangerous man

[Edited on 11-28-2009 by wessongroup]

[Edited on 11-28-2009 by wessongroup]

[Edited on 11-28-2009 by wessongroup]

[Edited on 11-28-2009 by wessongroup]




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[*] posted on 12-25-2009 at 08:25 PM


After reading this post I bought "Tales from a Tijuana Jail" and "Nogales" and will say my favorite was Nogales by author Steven Wilson. This is the book to read even though it was more than thirty years ago when he was arrested and jailed. This is the book to read. It is intense and believable.

"Tales" is a piece of garbage.... It was written by a gay guy who was arrested in Playas for contributing to a minor (a boy) when he was living in a house with a lot of other gay men some of whom were drug users. I could care less if the guy was gay and the others were drug users but the entire book consisted of his comments of how he was "NOT GUILTY" regarding the charges. I believe he was put there for exactly the reason he was arrested for and is now trying to justify his case through the media.

I will not put "Tales" in my library. I don't want it tainted with this $@#!.

If anyone wants it please U2U me with your address and I will send it to you.

My two days in the Rosarito jail will never be published for possession of Marijuana. But I will say that because I and my friend (who had the bud) would not call our parents for the bail the chief let us go. In fact the chief gave us 10 bucks to buy gas to cross the border. He wanted us out of there. That was over thirty years ago also. Old news..............
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[*] posted on 12-26-2009 at 08:51 AM


i had a friend who was a diabetic get tossed into the Cantamar jail for about 8 hours. we had $5 saved for gas and the toll at playas. the cops kept saying we needed to come up with some money. we told them we'd already put it in the tank. i still get a giggle when i think about Jerry calling out from the darkness, "you guys better not leave me here!" he finally got let out and we had to get him a taco or two with the last $5...... that was when you could get gas for $1/gallon.



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[*] posted on 12-26-2009 at 09:22 AM


Recently I read Tijuana Straits. It's fiction, takes place in the TJ River Valley, and TJ. Although fiction, I believe it is fact-based, and provides a glimpse into the seemy side of both sides of the border, with an overlay of a "good guy" old surfer with a sordid past (our hero).
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[*] posted on 12-26-2009 at 09:32 AM


Quote:
Originally posted by lizard lips
"Tales" is a piece of garbage.... It was written by a gay guy who was arrested in Playas for contributing to a minor (a boy) when he was living in a house with a lot of other gay men some of whom were drug users. I could care less if the guy was gay and the others were drug users but the entire book consisted of his comments of how he was "NOT GUILTY" regarding the charges.


I never even focused on that part. I was too busy being fascinated with the inner workings of "La Mesa". The tiny city with in the walls of the Jail.

You obviously did care about that subject or you would have just said "some guy".
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[*] posted on 12-26-2009 at 09:37 AM


Dude,

The inside of that jail, from what I heard, is exactly what he said it was. That was the only interesting part of the book.
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[*] posted on 12-26-2009 at 09:47 AM
MY ONE NIGHT STAY IN THE NOGALES MEXICO JAIL


...From San Felipe I boarded a shrimp boat and worked for 2 or 3 weeks up and down the Golfo de California. I remember that for the first couple of days I was so seasick I was in the fetal position in the living quarters. After that I was ok and got my sea legs. The captain dropped me off in Guaymas where I got work with Circus Vargas feeding the elephant and cleaning up their poop. I remember they had such large poops. While working at the circus I found out there was a warehouse near the Port of Guaymas where semi tractor trailer drivers loaded up to head to Nogales Mexico which borders with Arizona. I asked around for passage to the border until one of the drivers finally consented to give me a ride. He gave me a pack of Raleigh cigarettes and told me to meet him at the warehouse the next morning before light. I camped out near the warehouse next to some trash cans all night long until he showed up at the warehouse then next morning. The trucker gave me a ride to Nogales Mexico. He drove me all the way to the border and pointed out a line of people walking into the United States and told me “Kid get in the line and when you reach the immigration man tell him you are an American Citizen.” I got in line and continued forward with the rest of the people. At the time I was wearing rags for clothes and had cardboard in my shoes to cover the holes in the soles of my shoes.

I also spoke better Spanish than English at the time. Well when I reached the immigration guy I told him I was an American Citizen trying to reach my grandmother’s house in Mesa Arizona. For whatever reason he did not believe me, and neither did any of the other immigration guys. They ended up turning me over to the Mexican Immigration who locked me up in the Nogales Mexico Jail. God was I scared. I was in a big cell with many criminals and with only one toilet to go to the bathroom. I spent the night wide awake and never used the bathroom once. The following day the Chief of Police had me brought to him and asked me what the hell I was doing in his jail cell. I told him about Colonia LeBaron and my homeless travels throughout Mexico and that I was a 16 year old American Citizen just trying to get to my grandmother’s house in Mesa Arizona. God did he raise the roof at the police station with the people who placed me in the jail cell. The Chief made a telephone call to someone and the next thing I know is two Americans came to interview me at the police station. I told them my story and the names of my grandma and uncle and they said they would try to find them for me.

For the next 4 months or so I lived at the police station in a small room where they put a cot so I could have a place to sleep. The policemen bought me some new clothes and new shoes and some of them even took me to their house so I could take a shower. I became the official police shoeshine boy, office cleaner and interpreter until my Uncle Melvin showed up with my American Birth Certificate and took me home to my grandmother’s house in Mesa Arizona. At the Age of 17 I joined the Marines and went to Boot Camp in San Diego California...




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